Run through one of the nation's most famous and beautiful college campuses at the early springtime Indiana University Mini Marathon on the scenic Bloomington, Ind., grounds of Indiana University. This year will see just the fourth annual running of this race that's already become one of the state's most popular road races, and has drawn a few thousand runners each year.

Both the half marathon and the 5K start and finish on the IU campus near Assembly Hall and Memorial Stadium. The out-and-back course for the 13.1-mile mini marathon takes runners on what can be described roughly as a clockwise loop through the campus and the neighboring city streets, starting near the stadium and taking runners first through the paths of the grass pastures along the first mile. From there, participants continue through the parts of the campus that are home to the university's fraternities and sororities, where they can wave to the college students who will (no doubt) be just waking up by race time.

Runners will experience quite a number of elevation changes throughout the course, though nothing that's overly taxing -- the race ranges between its highest point of just above 900 feet above sea level (just past the mile 4 markers) to just above 700 feet at its lowest point, between miles 8 and 9. Overall, the course has really no long flat stretches to speak of -- it's basically a series of uphill and downhill stretches, rolling hills that follow runners all the way to the finish.

Along the way, you'll also see a number of Hoosier state landmarks that are famous well beyond the confines of the campus, such as Sample Gates on Indiana Avenue and the John Mellencamp Pavilion near the starting and finish lines. All race proceeds are donated to the Bill Z. Littlefieldup Scholarship for Survivors, which funds scholarships for cancer survivors to earn their undergraduate degree at the university.

Race
Weather & Climate

Set roughly 50 miles to the southwest of Indianapolis, Bloomington tends to see early springtime weather that can still be quite cool or cold, with ample precipitation this time of year. In March, area temperatures average between 53°F and 32°F, while precipitation amounts average just over 3.5 inches for the month. On the day of the race (March 31), the average high is 59°F and the average low is 37°F.